The First Sign of Spring

As early as mid-January, the first sign of Spring makes its appearance in the planted landscape. Against a background of earth-toned Winter grays, the first blooms of the Lenten rose, Helleborus Orientalis, add bright touches of color to the otherwise monotone surroundings.

No matter how long it may be until Spring is officially here, these first blooms brighten the spirit and awaken all of your desires of flowers and early Spring plantings to come.

In the woods that border one of our fields at Blackberry Farm, we have a good number of Helleborus Orientalis in full bloom. Our guests enjoy these flowers at a time when no other plants or bulbs are flowering. They remind them that even at this early date, the later gardens of Spring and Summer await their awakening.

There are numerous cultivators of the Lenten rose with a wide range of flower colorations. A few variations that we have are flowers that are greenish-white, solid white, white with violet speckles, light reddish violet and dark red/purple.

Lenten roses prefer a shaded or partially shaded location for best results. The mature plants readily seed the surroundings with numerous seedlings, so there are plenty of new plants for transplanting, giving gifts to friends or selling.

Try planting some Lenten roses in your shaded landscape. They are sure to add a bright touch of joy to your surroundings.

– John Coykendall, Master Gardener